During the next year we're expecting to see the Light Flyweight division become the “must watch” weight class. Given that it's often been an over-looked weight class we're really hoping that 2016 can be a year where fans do get excited and do start to give the division the attention that it deserves, and of course we also hope to see some great match ups. Ahead of any major announcements we've thought of 5 fights that we want to see this coming year in what is the second part of out "Bouts we want..." series, following on from the Minimumweight version here.

Ryoichi Taguchi Vs Randy PetalcorinOn paper the most logical match up sees WBA “regular” champion Ryoichi Taguchi (23-2-1, 10) defending his belt against interim champion Randy Petalcorin (23-1-1, 18). The bout is a really straight forward to make one with the two men having a real reason to fight and in theory both would have a lot to gain from a win and both would likely view the bout as one they should be really considering for the coming year, making it probably the most likely to happen, especially given that neither man can afford another year without facing a major opponent, which both men had last yesar unfortunately.

Not only is this one a good on one in regards to clearing up the WBA title picture but it's also one that should be great in the ring. Taguchi is a criminally under-rated boxer, with a very solid skill set, genuine toughness and developing confidence whilst Petalcorin is a powerful, fast and accurate fighter who needs to prove that he really is world class. The styles should be fun to see together and the chance to score a statement win should bring the best from both, making this a real humdinger.

Donnie Nietes Vs Rey LoretoWhilst the Taguchi/Petalcorion fight makes a lot of sense for both men sometimes fights don't need to make “sense” for us to to want them. One such example is an all-Filipino bout between WBO kingpin Donnie Nietes (37-1-4, 21) and hard hitting countryman Rey Loreto (20-13, 12). On paper this is a major mismatch, however as we all know Loreto is the division's dangerman and is criminally under-rated.

Nietes is the longest reigning active champion in the division however the 33 year old has had a long and draining career and has shown some chinks during his 4 year reign. Loreto on the other hand is just coming into his prime, at 25, and has really improved since a less than stellar 0-4 start to his professional career. With wins over Wisanu Kokietgym, Pornsawan Porpramook and Nkosinathi Joyi Loreto is dangerous and could well upset Nietes in what would be a brilliant boxer Vs puncher match up.

Sadly however it seems unlikely we'll get this one given that Nietes has been ordered to face Moises Fuentes and then seems likely to move to the Flyweight division.

Akira Yaegashi Vs Ryo MiyazakiThe best fights are the ones where styles gel, and one such bout has been mooted for several years and appears to have taken a huge step towards reality in recent weeks. That bout would put the newly crowned IBF champion Akira Yaegashi (23-5, 12) against fellow action fighter Ryo Miyazaki (24-1-3, 15). Whilst there are “better” bouts in the sport, such as Naoya Inoue Vs Roman Gonzalez, we don't think any other bout has “sure fire excitement” written over it as much as this one.

​Yaegashi looked sensational winning the IBF crown late last year, with a win over Javier Mendoza, but still can't refrain himself from brawling whilst Miyazaki is, at heart, a brawler. Given that both men like a fight, both have lapses defensively and both like to let their hands go we really can't see any outcome other than a win for the fans, if this one is made. Interestingly it is being spoken about as potential match up for March and Miyazaki has publicly called out his fellow Japanese warrior. Fingers crossed!

Jonathan Taconing Vs Felix Alvarado​Over the last few year's we've been hoping to see Jonathan Taconing (22-2-1, 18) get a world title fight, sadly however he has been avoided like the plague. It'd be nice to see him finally getting a shot at a champion but if that doesn't happen we'd love to see him face Nicaraguan warrior Felix Alvarado (22-2, 19). The two men should again make for a stylistically fun fight and it should be a bit of a fire fight, despite the fact neither has been stopped.

With 37 stoppage wins between them, from 47 bouts, we know power shots would be the order of the day and neither would be thinking about hearing the final bell. We also know that both feel thy been controversially beaten and and we don't see either man fighting for a decision. This really could be something very special to watch and, like the Yaegashi/Miyazaki bout, has “sure fire excitement” written all over it.

Whilst the bout should be great it should also act as a very serious world title eliminator with the winner well deserving of a world title fight later in the year.

Yu Kimura Vs Ken ShiroThere are a number of other bouts at 108lbs that could be made over the next 12 months though arguably the one that most interests us would see one of our favour fighters Ken Shiro (6-0, 3) step up to face recently crowned WBC champion Yu Kimura (18-2-1, 3). The bout would be one filled with skills and speed and, on paper at least, the easiest root for Ken Shiro to claim a world title, though of course wouldn't be a gimme for the youngster.

The biggest issue with this bout is that Kimura will likely need to fight in a mandatory defense, probably against Taconing, however if he can avoid that, or delay it, then we could be in for a really cracking all-Japanese world title fight between a veteran and a real youngster looking to break through. Really intriguing even if the bout doesn't really scream major “excitement”.

Whilst we have mentioned 5 bouts here, there are of course numerous other bouts, such ones featuring Kosei Tanaka, would also be also be entertaining and the division really does look amazing at the moment and we really are hoping that it can deliver on the promise that it has.

Boxing might be the sweet science but, if we're all being honest, it's also a fight. Due to it being a fight we of course love the true fighters, the ones who come to the ring with the intention of stopping their opponents and are willing to do all they can to finish a fight early. In this feature we're going to take a look at 10 of the most fun to watch Asian fighters. Some fighters you will be familiar with whilst others you may not be too aware of, one thing is for certain however, these men mean business every time they step in the ring.

1-Naoya Inoue (7-0, 6)It's been a while since we saw the “Monster” in the ring but Japanese youngster Naoya Inoue may well be the most fun to watch fighter on the planet and manages to be fun to watch whilst also being defensively sound and offensively destructive.

The youngster from Kanagawa is as destructive as they come, with both vicious power in both hands, and manages to break opponents up with shots to either the body or the head. Unlike many on this list however he's not an out and out pressure fighter, instead he's a boxing machine who can do it all, box, slug or brawl. In Japan he's a star and unlike many Japanese boxers he's also a man known around the boxing world courtesy of his amazing 2014 which saw him claim world titles at both Light Flyweight and Super Flyweight, beating recognised world champions for both of those titles.

3-Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (36-4-1, 33) Pressure, power and aggression tend to excite fans and few fighters bring that combination together quite as well as 28 year old Thai Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

In many ways Srisaket is like a mini-Golovkin and always marches forward looking to get up close and break his foes down. Technically he's not as good as Golovkin and not as powerful in relation to his division but he does tend to throw a lot of shots and is really exciting. Sadly like many Thai's however he seems to fight a lot poor opposition leading some fans to question his ability. Wins against Yota Sato and Jose Salgado should however convince fans that he's the real deal and a must watch fighter.

The Thai destroyer is looking to get a rematch with the last man to defeat him, Mexican Carlos Cuadras. That bout isn't expected immediately though we'd be shocked to not see by the end of Q1 2016.

5-Jonathan Taconing (21-2-1, 18) The stereotype regarding the “little men” is that they can't punch though no one seems to have told 28 year old Filipino slugger Jonathan Taconing, who boasts a 75% stoppage rate and has an average bout length of just over 4 rounds.

Taconing does everything a fight fan could wish to see, he brings pressure, he brings power, he brings an intense will to win and it often looks like he has a genuine bitterness towards the sport. Whilst that bitterness is understandable, given the way he was robbed of a WBC Light Flyweight title in 2012, it's also really exciting and when Taconing steps into the ring we always suspect we're going to see fireworks.

His heavy hands and aggressiveness was last seen in the ring when he beat Ramon Hirales Garcia, he's now expected back in action to defend his OPBF Light Flyweight title before a potential world title fight either at the end of this year or very early next year. And in all honesty that shot it well over due considering the ability of some recent challengers in the division.

7-Koki Eto (17-3-1, 13) When we talk about blood and guts warriors few will match Koki Eto who was involved in a series of FOTY style bouts in 2013/2014.

Eto is, of course, best known for his 12 round war with Kompayak Porpramook though battles with Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep, Ardin Diale and Denchailek Kratingdaenggym were also thrilling bouts. Technically Eto is limited but he has an insane will to win, a real grittiness and a mentality that seems to be based around thinking his offense is his best defense. We wouldn't be shocked to see his career feature several more thrillers before it's over and win or lose he's going to be a lot of fun to follow.

At the moment there is, sadly, no news on his next bout, though there is speculation that he may be in the running for a notable bout with an IBF ranked contender, or a defense of his OPBF Flyweight title. A rematch with Diale however seems to be a bout that many fans, who saw the first, are wanting.

9-Denver Cuello (36-5-6, 24) When a fighter is dubbed “The Excitement” you know for a fact he will be fun to watch and that's the case with Filipino fighter Denver Cuello.

Cuello, like many others on this list, proves that the little men can punch and be thoroughly fun to watch. At one point he, like Pacquiao, would have been much higher on this list though recent years we have seen Cuello troubled by injuries which have resulted in him looking less spectacular than he once did. If those injuries are healed fully then he may well prove to be the exciting fight who blew through the likes of Ganigan Lopez and Omar Soto. If he's still fighting injured however he may well be in some dull contests in the future.

At the moment there is no set date on his next bout, but he will likely be eyeing up the winner of the recently announced WBC Minimumweight title bout between Wanheng Menayothin and Young Kil Bae, which will take place on November 27th.

2-Gennady Golovkin (33-0, 30) Kazakh destroyer Gennady Golovkin may well be the most feared man in the Middleweight division right now but fans and the media love him and his style which is based on intelligent pressure and incredibly heavy hands.

At times the 33 year “GGG” can be seen to be defensively naive but his chin has never looked like letting him down and in fact his “poor” defense has opened up opportunities for his power, as seen in his amazing stoppage against Daniel Geale. His ability to excite fans has turned him into a star around the world and should lead to a series of huge fights over the next 12-24 months, including a probable show down against either Saul Alvarez of Miguel Cotto. Wins against either of those two would have Golovkin as the de facto kingpin at Middleweight and see a growing call for him to move to Super Middleweight for a potential showdown with Andre Ward.

4-Takashi Miura (29-2-2, 22) Japan has a number of excellent fights at Super Featherweight, included in those is the incredibly fun to watch Takashi Miura.

Miura is a marauding southpaw puncher with a serious chin, spiteful powerful and a style that often makes it look like he enjoys beating people up. Whilst plenty of fans have seen Miura he's still generally an under-rated fighter which is a shame as his competition in recent years has been solid and he's shown a willingness to travel, as seen in his 2013 FOTY contender with Sergio Thompson.

Although over-shadowed by compatriot, and fellow champion, Takashi Uchiyama we actually think Miura is the more exciting of the two and his style is certainly more active than Uchiyama's calm and calculating boxer-puncher style.

The rumour is that Miura is now set to get on the road again and face Francisco Vargas in the US in a bout that has “FOTY” written all over it.

6-Katsunari Takayama (29-7-0-2, 11) Probably the most exciting fighter, pound for pound, on the planet today is Katsunari Takayama a Minimumweight warrior who has been involved in so many thrilling contests that it would be hard to know where to begin if we were doing a highlight reel for him.

Last year Takayama was involved in possibly the FOTY when he took on Francisco Rodriguez Jr in an IBF/WBO world title unification and since then he has been involved in two more tough bouts, including a 9 round war with Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr. Sadly at 32 years old Takayama does look like he's an “old man”, especially given his division and given his style we don't expect him to last too much longer, sadly. At his prime however he was an all out warrior, tough as old boots, aggressive and his one major downfall was that he light on power, something that will likely have sped his "aging" progress as a fighter.

Although no announcement regarding his future has been made he's rumoured to be in action on September 27th against Ryuji Hara.

8-Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38)Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao has been one of the sports most exciting fighters for more than a decade. Whilst it's fair to say he has slipped, significantly, from the fighter he once was he does still manage to excite fans and is that's both inside the ring and outside of it. The Pacquiao of a few years ago would have topped this list but the “Pac Man” does seem to have lost some of the fire that once made him a bonafide pay-per-view star. Things are also not helped by the recent memory of his dull contest with Floyd Mayweather Jr and his less than memorable showing against Brandon Rios. With talk of a Pacquiao Vs Amir Khan bout it does seem likely that Pacquiao will be in at least one more high octane contest before his career is over though the shine has certainly dulled on him in the eyes of many fans.

His ring return is likely to come next Spring though nothing is set in stone as of yet.(Video courtesy of Tolya Colon)

10-Daigo Higa (7-0, 7)The youngest man on this list is Daigo Higa, who has just turned 20 and yet already looks like a man who is going to be must watch every time he steps in the ring.

Higa is a stablemate of Koki Eto and fights in a similar, though more refined, manner. He's aggressive, aggressive and aggressive. Every time Higa is in the ring he comes forward, looks for the knock out and, so far, has scored one every time. For many his break out win came earlier this year, against Kongfah CP Freshmart, though fans in Tokyo were impressed by his wins over Virden Rivera and Cris Alfante, which were both impressively quick stoppages of solid fighters.

We've been informed that Higa's team are hoping he'll make a ring return before the year is out, though there is no set date or opponent being linked to him as of yet.

Honourable mentions -Wanheng Menayothing-Intelligent pressure fighter, even though he lacks lights out power he is great fun to watch -Akira Yaegashi-A real warrior who is coming to the end of his career though will always go out on his shield and give fans good value. -Takuya Kogawa-A warrior through and through. Though he lacks power he does enjoy a tear up and is scarcely in a dull fight -Suguru Muranaka-Another warrior who enjoys a tear up and is more than happy to let his hands go despite not being a note puncher.-Knockout CP Freshmart-With a name like “Knockout” you already know he's looking for the stoppage every time. -Rex Tso-Like many featured above this man from Hong Kong is flawed but that's what makes him so much fun with every fight being a war-Kyoo Hwan Hwang-Korean teenage has got ability though often lets his "Korean instinct" kick in and turns every fight so far into a slugfest

The Long Term Champion

Donnie Nietes (34-1-4, 20)The clear stalwart at Light Flyweight is a Donnie Nietes. The Filipino has really been quietly going about his business whilst also managing to forge one of the most impressive resumes of any active fighter in the lower classes. All the while others have passed in and out of the division with out creating much of a legacy.

The 32 year old WBO champion is the longest reigning active champion in the division by a long way and has held the title for more than 4 years whilst notching up 5 title defenses. Whilst on paper it doesn't sound like a lot they have been impressive defenses including 2 against Moises Fuentes and others against Felipe Salguero and Sammy Gutierrez.

In the ring Nietes is a highly skilled, defensively sound boxer who thrives against fighters bringing the fight to him. Although a counter puncher by trade Nietes has shown an ability to force the fight when he needs to, as he did against Carlos Velarde last time out.

It seems likely that Nietes will, some day soon, head towards the Flyweight division though it's also clear that he still has unfinished business at 108lbs and he'll likely be here for another fight or two as he continues to develop his legacy in the division.

The Banger

Jonathan Taconing (20-2-1, 17)The Light Flyweight division isn't really associated with big punchers. Even historically it's not known for it's true bangers. At the moment however the division has a really vicious puncher in the form of 28 year old contender Jonathan Taconing who has an amazing stoppage rate of 73.91%, and has stopped his last 7.

Taconing's opponents haven't been great overall but he has notched a few notable scalps, including Vergilio Silvano, who he stopped in 11 rounds last year, and Warlito Parrenas, who he stopped back in 2010.

Blessed with devastating power, serious toughness and an insanely aggressive manner Taconing is one of the lower weights real danger men and he's also become an avoided fighter with no one giving him a shot at the big time since he was controversially beaten by Kompayak Porpramook back in 2012.

Although an avoided fighter Taconing has impressed and the WBC have got him set for a final eliminator with a world title fight against Pedro Guevara up for grabs for the winner. Being honest a bout between Taconing and Guevara could be a runner for the FOTY, if it gets made.

The Warrior

Ryo Miyazaki (22-1-3, 13)Boxing has a number of insanely fun to watch fighters and luckily for the Light Flyweight division, it has one of them in in Osakan fighter Ryo Miyazaki, a former WBA champion at Minimumweight. As a fighter Miyazaki is flawed and limited but he is a fighter and brings excitement into the ring as well as the willingness to go to war and the toughness to often come out on top in a war.

Better known as “Kazuto Ioka's best friend” Miyazaki is a world class warrior who has done more than most. He has claimed Japanese and OPBF titles at Light Flyweight as well as the WBA Minimumweight title and is now on the hunt for a Light Flyweight title fight. Although his resume isn't a who's who he does hold notable wins over the likes of Junichi Ebisuoka, Jerson Mancio, Pornsawan Porpranook, Carlos Verlarde and Jesus Silvestre. The one big mark against him however is his shock upset loss to a then unknown Fahlan Sakkreerin in late 2013, since then however he has rebuilt with back to back stoppage wins.

At the moment the road map for Miyazaki isn't clear though it's expected that he will be moving towards a WBA title fight with Ryoichi Taguchi later this year. That would certainly be a great fight to watch given the styles and abilities of the two men.

The Recently Crowned Prince

Ryoichi Taguchi (21-2-1, 8)The Light Flyweight division has a lot of new title holders title holders at the moment. For many the most under-rated of those is Japan's Ryoichi Taguchi who has shown a lot to like in his career, even if he's only really come to the attention of fans in recent years. In fact Taguchi was a man who came to the attention of fans in his loss to Naoya Inoue, a loss the proved how tough and game Taguchi was.

In the ring Taguchi is a hard working fighter who has a lovely variety of shots, guts, aggression and freakish size for a man at 108lbs. His reach and height alone make him a tricky opponent and his experience of being in with a number of top domestic fighters will certainly help him bow that he's fighting at the top level.

Taguchi's next move is unknown though it's though he will be defending his belt either in April or May with Ryo Miyazaki and Alex Diaz both being rumoured as possible foes for the Watanabe gym fighter.

The Myth, The Man, The Questions

Ali Raymi (24-0, 24)Yemeni fighter Ali Raymi has become a bit of an internet sensation and his record is, clearly, one of the most perfect in the sport. Sadly for Raymi he is without a win of international renown and has been on the back end of jibes by the international boxing community.

Exciting to watch and blessed with one of the most aggressive mindsets in boxing Raymi is a colourful character who seems able to get the type of attention that the division generally lacks. Sadly however for many fans he is little more than a myth.

In the ring Raymi is all about offense with his attack often depending, almost entirely, on body shots which come in massive volume. It's hard to say how damaging these really are given his competition thus far but they have stopped all of his opponents up to now, something that very few fighters have managed.

From what we understand Raymi's next bout comes against another unbeaten Yemeni fighter, Hani Ansi, in March. The bout pits two very colourful fighters against each other and the winner probably does need to be taken semi-seriously however the lower will almost certainly be seen as a joke.

The Thai Teen

Stamp Kiatniwat (12-0, 5)The real young gun of the division is Thailand's promising Stamp Kiatniwat who, despite only being a teenager, is tipped to be a major star in the future. Not only is he tipped as something special but he is matched like he's something special and is being pushed hard despite his age.

Stamp made his debut back in 2013 and hie early opponents were the usual selection of novices and limited imports. Last year however he stepped it up massively and took on former world champion Kwanthai Sithmorseng. The win Kwanthai wasn't easy, Kwanthai of course wanted to so defeat the youngster, but the win really showed just how talented the youngster was.

Although a talented boxer-mover we have seen Stamp troubled with his recent win over Espinos Sabu being particularly tough. This bout showed that the youngster needed time to develop from a boy into a man. Once he does that we suspect we'll see him in bigger and better fights against strong opposition.

At the moment there is no opponent lined up for Stamp's next bout though we have a feeling he'll return to action in April or May, probably against a Filipino or Indonesian foe.

Others The interim ChampionThe Philippines have several other notable fighters in this division including WBA interim champion Randy Petalcorin who is a much touted southpaw with venomous power and an exciting style. “Razor” is exciting fighter though one who hasn't yet scored a major win with his best scalp to date being against Walter Tello. Hopefully this year we will find out a lot more about the 23 year old southpaw and find out if he has the ability to claim a “real” world title.

The contenderMilan Melindo will be the next Asian fighter to fight for a Light Flyweight title when he steps up to take on IBF champion Javier Mendoza on April 25th. Melindo is a fabously talented fighter but one who seems to struggle when he steps up a level and he has struggled with both Jean Piero Perez and Martin Tecuapetla in recent bouts. He's talented but lacks the power and consistency to be genuinely world class.

The notable none Asian (I)Having just mentioned the IBF champion it makes sense to talk about him a little bit. The heavy handed Javier Mendoza is a wonderfully fun fighter to watch with serious power, aggression and pressure. He's not the most technically capable nor the fastest but it may well take a very good fighter to beat him. Melindo, in our eyes, lacks the style to get the job done in Mexico but it will be fun when the two collide.

The notable non Asian (II)Mexico's Pedro Guevara may well be the best fighter in the division and yet the 25 year old is generally over-looked by many in the division. Part of the reason he is over-looked is that he lost his first step up bout, coming up short against John Riel Casimero, however since then he has scored 4 straight wins including notable victories over Raul Garcia, Mario Rodriguez and most recently Akira Yaegashi. This kid is extremely talented and appears to have all the tools to be a star.

The year really got going in March with a lot of action building on the momentum from February.

The month kicked off with two very interesting cards on March 1st. In Japan we saw Middleweight titles unified as Akio Shibata defeated Daisuke Nakagawa to add the Japanese title to his OPBF belt. Sadly for Nakagawa he would retire after this loss. As for Shibata he has defended the unified crown twice, including a very recent win over Makoto Fuchigami.

In the Philippines on the same day Genesis Servania showed his class as he stopped former world champion Alexander Munoz in 12 rounds. This win saw Servania continuing his rise through the ranks and it now looks likely that he will kick off 2015 with a WBO world title bout.

The busy start to the continued on March 3rd when Japanese boxing fans had “Women's Day” and saw a trio of female world title bouts at the Korakuen Hall. These bouts saw wins for all 3 of the Japanese champions in action with Momo Koseki, Naoko Shibata and Ayaka Miyao all retaining their world titles.

On March 4th we had more title action with a Japanese title double header. These saw Hiroki Okada claim the Japanese Light Welterweight title with a decision win over Masayoshi Kotake and Takayuki Hosokawa upsetting Tadashi Yuba for the Light Middleweight title. For Okada this was his first decision win after starting his career with 7 straight stoppages whilst Hosokawa's reign was a short lived one and he had to give up his title before making a single defense.

On March 11th Japanese fans got a treat as the heavy handed Koji Numata fought to a thrilling draw with Takehiro Shimokawara. The bout was a 12 round war that was incredibly close leading to a split decision draw. A rematch between the two later in the year saw Numata stopping Shimokawara for the title before Numata announced his retirement, incidentally he had also announced his retirement after this draw.

Our “Prospect of the Year”, Kosei Tanaka, fought his first bout of the year on March 16th as he defeated Filipino foe Ronelle Ferreras. Ferreras entered the bout as a world ranked foe though never came close to genuinely testing the Japanese youngster who lost a round en route to a clear 8 round decision win.

Also on March 16th was “The Bloodbath of the Year” as Takuya Watanabe give an-in ring blood donation in his loss to Jaesung Lee. Watanabe was cut early in the bout and although blood was going everywhere the referee was happy for the bout to continue it's 10 round schedule. By the end of the bout Lee's shorts were covered in claret and it was a mystery as to how Watanabe had managed to continue the distance despite leaving much of himself in the ring.

A day later Japanese Welterweight champion Suyon Takayama recorded a narrow defense of his title as he only just over-came Tetsuya Suzuki. Takayama would defend the belt once more, later in the year, and again seemed fortunate to keep the belt with it being very clear that he was one of, if not the, weakest domestic champion in the country.

Just a couple of days after Sabillo's loss we saw another Filipino come up short in a title bout as Vinvin Rufino suffered an 8th round TKO at the hands of Hisashi Amagasa, the OPBF Featherweight champion. On the same show Hidenori Otake retained the Japanese Super Bantamweight title with a narrow decision win over Takafumi Nakajima. Fans in attendance here would almost certainly have been surprised if they were to be told that both Otake, against Scott Quigg, and Amagasa, against Guillermo Rigondeaux, would fight in world title bouts before the year was out.

Staying with disappointment for Filipino fighters we saw Richard Pumicpic come up short in an OPBF Bantamweight title bout against Ryosuke Iwasa. Pumicpic really did give Iwasa a nightmare for 12 rounds though was unable to do quite enough to take the win over “Eagle Eye” who hinted that he had had problems making the 118lb weight limit. Before the year was out however Iwasa had agreed to an IBF Bantamweight world title eliminator, suggesting he was making a little bit of an excuse for a below par performance.

It wasn't all bad for Filipinos however and on the same day Jonathan Taconing claimed the OPBF Light Flyweight title which had been vacated by Naoya Inoue. Taconing took on fellow Filipino Vergilio Silvano and the two men were involved in a full on brawl with Silvano eventually being stopped in round 11. The bout was regarded by many in attendance as one of the year's best contests in the Philippines though sadly full fight footage doesn't seem to have emerged.

On March 26th it was the turn of Thai's to feel disappointed as veteran Denkaosan Kaovichit was stopped by Kohei Kono in a bout for the vacant WBA Super Flyweight title. Kono dropped the Thai in round 4 before finishing him off in round 8 to begin a second reign as a world champion. Sadly for Kono he has been inactive since this win with problems regarding mandatory challenger Koki Kameda delaying any chance of Kono to really build on his momentum. Thankfully however the champion will be back in action on December 31st. For Denkaosan this was the start of a forgetable year which also saw him suffer a KO loss to the exceptionally talented Ryo Matsumoto in September.

On March 29th Russian “Krusher” Sergey Kovalev defended the WBO Light Heavyweight world title with a clear win over the out matched and negative Cedric Agnew who was stopped in 7 rounds after being thoroughly dominated.

This past week saw Boxnation publish an article on the biggest punchers in the sport. The article whilst having solid selections overall did seem to have a general "main stream" bias with only several of the fighters being somewhat unproven American or fighters that are certainly not what they once were.

On the whole the selections they had were solid and credible though we tend to feel that the article failed to really give a fair representation of the fighters from outside of their own broadcasts and when you consider many of their shows are from Europe or North America it explains their bias. Like wise it tended to feel like the article was done by someone who had watched the channel rather than someone who actually watched world wide boxing.

With the issues in the Boxnation article I've decided to do my own "Biggest Punchers" article with 11 fighters.

Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26) [89.66%]The one Asian who was represented on the Boxnation article was Kazakhstani Middleweight Gennady Golovkin who has the highest KO % of any active world champion.

Golovkin is really a man who can do anything in the ring though is at his destructive best when he cuts down the ring, forces an opponent to throw then counters with precision and power. It's this power that has made him a star in the US and has helped him become one of the true "must watch" fighters.

Although a highly accomplished amateur Golovkin has become less about "point scoring" in the professional ranks and more about destruction which he has shown in both vicious beat downs and 1-punch KO's. The beat downs, given out to the likes of Gregorz Proksa and Gabriel Rosado, were bludgeoning affairs where every punch took a toll whilst his 1-punch KO's over Lajuan Simon, Nobuhiro Ishida and Matthew Macklin were highlight reel KO's that showed off the explosiveness of the Kazakh.

With 16 straight stoppages, including a number against decent world level opponents, there is little doubting the power of "GGG".

Takashi Uchiyama (21-0-1, 17) [77.27%]Arguably the hardest punching fighter, pound-for-pound, currently based in the Orient is WBA Super Featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama who's power has lead to his brilliant nickname of "KO Dynamite".

Uchiyama, at 34 years old, does look to be a man on the slide slightly but with his power no one will be in a rush to mix it up with him and one clean shot to either head or body from the huge punching Watanabe Gym fighter can end a fight at any moment.

Uchiyama burst on to the world scene in 2009 when he stopped Juan Carlos Salgado in 12 rounds and has since shown his power by stopping 6 of his subsequent 8 opponents inside the distance including scoring a highlight real KO over the very capable Jorge Solis and a sickening body shot KO over Jaider Parra.

Of the two recent fights that Uchiyama hasn't scored a stoppage in one was a technical draw with rough Filipino Michael Farenas whilst the other was a decision against Daiki Kaneko, a man we feel is a future world champion. Sadly however there is some questioning of just how long Uchiyama has left at the top though for now it's hard to argue with the power of "KO Dynamite"

Shinsuke Yamanaka (21-0-2, 16) [69.57%]If Uchiyama is Japan's biggest puncher then it's fair to say that Shinsuke Yamanaka is the second biggest despite his record not actually showing it, in fact Yamanaka's record is one of the most misleading in the sport.

The WBC Bantamweight champion stopped just 2 of his first 8 opponents as he began 6-0-2 (2) though from then on he has stopped 14 of 15 opponents with several stoppages over very tough fighters like Ryosuke Iwasa, Tomas Rojas, Malcolm Tunacao, Alberto Guevara and Stephane Jamoye. Impressively Yamanaka hasn't just been stopping foes fighter after fight but they have pretty much all been dropped at least once.

Known as the "God of Left" Yamanaka really does have thunder bottled in his left hand and he has developed how he uses it excellently to score real beat downs as well as eye catching KO's. There is little doubt that his level of competition is higher than most fighters, worldwide, and the fact he is stopping world class opponents on a regular basis really does show up just how confusing his KO% actually is.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (27-3-1, 25) [80.65%]The only Thai on this list is WBC Super Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai who is a true whirling dervish in the ring. Srisaket's KO rate may be just shy of 81% but, as with Yamanaka, it's a misleading figure with the Thai having stopped 24 of his last 26 foes.

Srisaket of course started his career with an unspectacular 1-3-1 beginning though has risen through the Super Flyweight division by simply destroying opponents with a vicious and never ending assault. It's the not actually raw power which has really helped Srisaket though every punch he lands is hurtful and the cumulative effect of those shots is simply too much for many fighters to take.

In terms of 1-punch power Srisaket is probably lacking though every single shot is nasty, spiteful and hurtful. He's the sort of fighter who my not take your head off with a single shot but will break over the course of a fighter.

Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38) [60.32%]Filipino puncher Manny Pacquiao was once seen as a phenom in the ring stopping a who's who of top tier fighters from Chatchai Sasakul to Marco Antonio Barrera, from Erik Morales to Ricky Hatton from Oscar De La Hoya to Miguel Cotto. A few short years ago he'd have topped this list based on his scalps alone. Unfortunately however the "Pacman", whilst still hurtful, is no longer the wrecking machine he once was and he hasn't scored a stoppage in his last 8 fights. That has dropped him from 69.09% all the way down to 60.32% despite the drop off in KO's few would argue that Pacquiao is solid puncher.

Part of the drop off in Pacquiao's knockouts has come due to the fact he is facing naturally bigger men, such as Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey whilst also facing incredibly tough men such as Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Brandon Rios. He still hits hard but those men are big and tough guys themselves.

Aged 35 the Filipino star is surely on the back end of his illustrious hall of fame career though it's fair to say the KO's he scored through out his career will serve him well with highlight videos being published across the net.

Naoya Inoue (6-0, 5) [83.33%]When we talk about super stars the new star in world boxing in Naoya Inoue who, after just 6 fights, is already a world champion and already looks like a scary fighter. The 21 year old has managed to claim Japanese, OPBF and world titles in just 6 fights and a combined 36 rounds.

With an 83.33% KO rate Inoue has one of the highest stoppage rates of any active champion and is showed that power to great effect in his title winning effort which saw him stopping Adrian Hernandez for the WBC Light Flyweight title.

It may be a little early to declare Inoue as one of the hardest punchers in the world but his record speaks for it's self and his nickname of "Monster" really does seem accurate with his physical strength as well as his power. Even the jab of the 21 year old seems spiteful never mind his true power shots, such as the beauty he landed against Ngaoprajan Chuwatana in just his second professional contest.

Ryota Murata (4-0, 4)Arguably the hardest pure puncher currently plying their trade in the Orient is Ryota Murata. The Middleweight sensation may not yet be fighting at the world level though has been cruising through opponents and improving fight after fight.

On debut he of course stopped the OPBF champion Akio Shibata, a man who is stoppable but is in no means soft. He then followed that up with a very good win over the surprisingly tough Dave Peterson before scoring stoppages over former world title challenger Carlos Nascimento and tough Mexican Jesus Angel Nerio.

Whilst no one would suggest Murata is ready for a world title fight he is beating tough guys by breaking them down with his heavy handed assault to head and body and the way he is racing up towards the world rankings is impressive. He is still a work in progress but his power is certainly there, just as it was in the amateurs where he was sensational.

Kanat Islam(16-0, 13) [81.25%]Gennady Golovkin, our #1 power puncher, isn't the only Kazakh impressing with his power, another is the US based Kanat Islam.

Although Islam is based in Florida he has been making his name in Latin America with fights in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic and has not only been scoring stoppages but has been rising in to the rankings whilst picking up WBA regional titles.

Of course the biggest issue with Islam is that he's not been stopping well known fighters or quality fighters. In fact his best win to date has come over HumbertoToledo, who lasted less than a minute with the big punching Islam. Incidentally Boxnation's list included Randall Bailey who took 8 rounds to take a DQ win over Toledo which would suggest that Islam does hit incredibly hard.

Ranked #11 by the WBA at Light Middleweight Islam is a man who looks likely to make a mark on the wider boxing world in the next year or so. He will need to continue his winning streak though it's hard not to be impressed by a man who is averaging just 2.75 rounds per fight!

Keita Obara (11-1, 10) [83.33%]One more Japanese fighter who has serious power is OPBF Light Welterweight champion Keita Obara who has thunderous power which has helped him string together 11 straight wins with 10KO's. Those wins have seen him claiming the Japanese and OPBF titles whilst walking through the likes of Jay Solmiano and So Takenaka.

Obara isn't the most skilled or the hardest working but when he tags someone he does serious harm often rendering a fighter void of their senses with just 1 clean shot. This guy has the sort of power that generates excitement, at least domestically.

The problem with Obara is that we're not certain of how well his power will carry up as he moves through the levels to fringe world class. We're hoping it carries up and that he could become a star on the international scene though we will have to wait in the hope that he fights a world ranked fighter like Czar Amonsot, Patomsuk Pathompothong or Min Wook Kim, all of whom would make for fun to watch bouts and a real test for Obara.

Jonathan Taconing (18-2-1, 15) [71.43%]Another OPBF champion included in this list is Light Flyweight champion Jonathan Taconing who really has spite in his punches despite fighting in the 108lb division.

Taconing first came to the attention of hardcore fans when he went toe-to-toe with Thailand's tough Kompayak Porpramook and appeared to be getting the better of the bout before a controversial technical decision cost Taconing what should have been the WBC Light Flyweight world title, the title that is now around the waist of Naoya Inoue.

Since the loss to Porpramook fans have been able to see Taconing score 5 wins in a combined 23 rounds, including a very impressive stoppage over Vergilio Silvano to claim the OPBF title.

Taconing isn't a big name but he's a fighter with a genuinely exciting style, an aggressive mentality and the ability to give anyone at 108lbs real trouble. We'd love to see him given a second world title fight and with his style he could well

Rey Megrino (21-20-3, 18) [40.91%]The true "joker" amongst the hardest Asian punchers is the under-rated Filipino Rey Megrino. Although Megrino boasts a KO rate of less than 41% he is a true banger and what he connects with he hurts. Unfortunately he does have one of the most odd and misleading records due to the start of his career which was certainly less than stellar.

Although Megrino has won less than half of his fights he has shown distinct improvements in recent years and those improvements have seen him learning how to use his natural god given power to it's full effect. Those improvements have seen him stopping 5 of his last 6 opponents including the legendary Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, the once touted Kenji Kubo and the unbeaten Ernesto Saulong. In fact the only fighter to survive the distance with Megrino in the last year was Myung Ho Lee who was dropped even though he saw out the distance.

Megrino's current run has seen him climb into the WBC world rankings with a #9 Flyweight ranking and although the ranking, in theory, makes him an attractive target his power has put opponents off and it's completely understandable as to why.